Arlene Stafford-Wilson's Blog, page 39
October 28, 2021
Mystery of St. James Church, Hood’s
St. James United Church & Cemetery – Lot 16, Con. 2, Dalhousie Twp., at Hood, Lanark County, Ontario
Oct. 28, 1971
“Early this year, after much consideration and discussion among the parishioners, the church was tendered for sale. The response passed all expectations, and, on September 10, 1971, the old pioneer church was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Eric Davis of Seattle, Washington, who plan to remodel it into a permanent home.”
Sign on St. James’ United Church
An article about St. James Church was dated October 28, 1971, written over 50 years ago, by an anonymous author, and published in “The Perth Courier”. According to the author, the church had just been sold, with the promise that it would be remodeled and loved once again, by its new owners. For reasons unknown, the building was never touched, and it stands today, abandoned, with the original ‘St James’ sign attached, looking a little worse for the wear, the fact that it’s still upright, a tribute to the pioneer builders who constructed this church in 1860.
Area known as Hood, or Hood’s Corners
Hood, named for the Hood family who settled there, and most likely for William Hood, educated in the University of Glasgow, the teacher at Hood’s Corners School. William was the son of James Hood, who came from Scotland along with others, on the ship, “Prompt”.
The very earliest settlers to the area came in the fall of 1820, Scotsmen from Glasgow and Paisley. James Blair, John McLellan, John McNangle, Neil Campbell, Donald McPhee, James Martin, William Barrett, Charles Bailie, James Watson, George Brown, Thomas Easton, George Easton, Edward Conroy, Peter Shields, John Donald, John Duncan, Andrew Park, James Park, John Todd, William Jack, James Hood, Alex Watt, Robert Forest, George Richmond, and John Duncan were among the first to arrive.
St. James Church
The article from “The Perth Courier” (author unknown) Oct. 28, 1971
“The little white church on the top of the hill at Hoods, two miles north of Watson’s Corners, is now awaiting a new tenant.
The St. James’ United Church, which was built in 1859, holds many memories for the older inhabitants of the area. In the early days, people walked from Elphin, McDonald’s Corners and other communities to worship. Also, stables were provided for the convenience of those who came by horse and buggy.
The church, guarded by three large maple trees, is enclosed by wire strand fencing. An unusual aspect of this is that the cedar posts are ornamented, and the wire is threaded through the posts horizontally. On the top of each vertical wire is a small metal maple leaf. Early this year, after much consideration and discussion among the parishioners, the church was tendered for sale. The response passed all expectations, and, on September 10, 1971, the old pioneer church was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Eric Davis of Seattle, Washington, who plan to remodel it into a permanent home.
On Thanksgiving Day, October 11, an auction sale was held of the church furnishings which drew a large crowd of people. Some were bargain hunters while others came to buy a memento of their former place of worship.
Steeped in history, the church had many ministers, the first being the Rev. John Robb, who came from the Dutch Reformed Church in the United States. He was inducted on May 29, 1846, and services were first held in the old St. Andrew’s Hall. The Rev. Robb died on May 27, 1851, and was buried on the Hall property, but it was not until 1930 that the grave was marked with a headstone. The Rev. Robb donated a silver communion urn and goblets inscribed, “Scotch Church, Dalhousie, Canada West, Rev. J. Robb.” These were in use at St. James’ Church for many years and now will be placed in the museum.
Following the death of Rev. Robb, Dalhousie came under the supervision of the Lanark ministers. Early in 1859, Middleville and Dalhousie became one field, under the direct ministry of Rev. William Clarke. It was during his ministry that St. James’ Church was built. He inspired the congregation to have a place of worship entirely dedicated for this purpose. The walls were raised in the Fall of 1859, but it was not used for worship until 1860.
The building was erected without financial assistance from outside sources. The work was done as money became available from the congregation and the church was used before the interior was completed.
The first seats were hand-made, being square-backed and not made for comfort. They were placed down each side of the church, making one center aisle. Because of the long length o the seats, the offering was collected by means of a velvet pouch fastened to the end of a long rod.
It seems as if the year 1894 was a prosperous one as several projects were accomplished. The walls were plastered and painted a pale green, new pews were installed, and a new pulpit added, along with chairs and a carpet. The Session House was built in 1862 and a woodshed in 1895. The pine log walls of the church were clapboarded in 1896 and the windows were frosted in 1897.
From 1860 until the first organ was installed in 1895 there was a special box-like pew before the pulpit. Here sat the Precentor, who pitched the key for singing, using a tuning fork. Mr. David Easton performed this duty for many years.
Since the land for the church site was donated by James Reid, it was his wish that the church be named, “St. James”. Mr. Reid kept a diary in which many of the facts of the pioneer history of the community were recorded.
During the early years, the Bible Society made annual visits to St. James’ Church and the representative would stay overnight with Mr. Reid. It was also recorded that the trees in front of the church were planted by William Penman and David Forbes.
The Synod Minutes of 1860 reveal that the Rev. William Clarke was paid $94. semi-annually. This money came from Middleville, Dalhousie and Lanark. His last service was held on February 26th, 1865. He was known as a very capable speaker and made a great contribution to this area.
During Rev. McConnells’ ministry, the first manse at Watson’s Corners was built in 1893, and the next year the Zion Church was built at Watson’s Corners.
During Rev. McLean’s ministry in 1908, the Manse was burned to the ground on August 20, but was rebuilt immediately after the fire.
It was during Mr. Clark’s ministry in January 1965 that St. James’ Church amalgamated with Zion Church at Watson’s Corners, when services were held at each church on alternate Sundays.
In June 1965, St. James’ Church was closed, along with several other churches in the district. Since then, the people of St. James’ congregation have been known as St. Andrew’s of Central Lanark Charge, and they attend church at Watson’s Corners.
During the past six years, only two worship services have been held in the pioneer church. One was on August 13, 1967, when the Machan reunion held a special centennial service with the Rev. L. M. Somerville, of the Machan clan, as speaker. The last service was held on September 26, 1971, to honour the forefathers of the congregation with the Rev. E.C. Brown, Minister of St. Andrew’s officiating. He gave an inspiring message that was appropriate for the historical occasion. During the service, the choir sang the anthem “The Beautiful Garden of Prayer”, while Mr. Harry Stead gave a sole, “Others”
In the past 105 years, St. James’ Church was used as a sanctuary. Hundreds of worshipers from miles around received spiritual blessings and encouragement to carry on their daily tasks. Many people will treasure in their hearts the many happy memories of hours spent in fellowship and spiritual help received at St. James’ Church.”
The ministers of St. James’ Church:
1860-1864 Rev. William Clarke
1865-1871 Rev. Donald J. McLean
1872-1879 Rev. Wm. Cochrane
1881-1893 Rev. Joseph Andrews
1893-1895 Rev. James McConnells
1896-1903 Rev. James Leitch
1903-1909 Rev. J.R. Miller
1906-1909 Rev. J.A. McLean
1910-1916 Rev William Ferguson
1916-1920 Rev. J.R. Wilson
1920-1928 Rev. J.T. Caswell
1928-1931 Rev. Henry Scott (for a few months in 1931 Rev. J.H. McLaren)
1931-1937 Rev. L.N. Beckstead
1937-1939 Rev. Harry Peters
1939-1942 Rev. R.A. Cameron
1942-1943 Mr. H.C. Mercer
1943-1956 Rev. D.J. Campbell
1956-1962 Rev. Fred Wakeling
1962-1965 Mr. L.V. Clark
Property Sales History: (West half of Lot 16, Concession 2, Dalhousie Township, Lanark County)
June 27, 1844 – the Crown transfers 100 acres to the Canada Company
Feb. 6, 1857 – James Reid purchases 100 acres, rear (or west half) for 75 pounds
Mar. 24, 1859 – James Reid sells (donates) to the Presbyterian Church Trustees 22,500 square feet for the sum of $2.00
Dec. 2, 1971 – Lorne Pretty and Keith McNicol (Chairman and Secretary of the Trustees of St. Andrew’s Congregation of Central Lanark Renfrew Presbytery, of the United Church of Canada) – sell the church property 150 ft. by 150 ft. (22,500 square feet)
to Eric Davis and Chloe Davis, for the sum of $2,950.
(this was the last listed transaction in the historical records)
Source: the historical records of the Ontario Land Registry, (Lanark County LRO 27), Dalhousie Township, Concessions 1-3, p.130
Abandoned at Hood’s
No one seems to know what happened to the owners of the property, or why the old church wasn’t remodeled into a family home, as was the original intention, discussed with the parishioners of St. James, over 50 years ago.
The Davis family was from Seattle, Washington. Were they vacationing in the area when they decided to purchase the church? Did they ever return to Hood’s?
Whatever the reason this historic pioneer church was never remodeled by the owners remains a 50-year-old mystery.
Sadly, this abandoned house of worship with its traditional-style interior are examples of early architecture by the Scottish pioneers. Part of a proud community, this building witnessed many baptisms, marriages, and funerals of the community’s early Scottish settlers, a refuge and sanctuary for the new emigrants, as they forged their way in the new land.
Perhaps we’ll never know the real reasons that St. James Church was abandoned by its owners.
October 27, 2021
Hershey, Smiths Falls
1962-2008
The announcement of the Hershey Chocolate factory opening in Smiths Falls in 1962 brought a sense of hope and optimism to the town, with the promise of hundreds of unionized jobs, and attracting other new business and more tourism to the town.
Smiths Falls Water Tower
Grand Opening of Hershey Chocolate Corporation, attended by 3,000, April 17, 1961
The style of the Hershey bar wrapper evolved over the years. The one above was used from 1951 – 1968.
In 1973 the company added nutrition-related information to their labels, and in 1976 they began to print UPC codes on their products.
In 1984 the white inner wrap was replaced with foil., and in 2003 the company switched to a one-piece wrap to maintain freshness.
(source: Hershey Archives)
Post card featuring the Hershey Plant and Visitor’s Center in Smiths Falls – c. 1982
Where the tour of the chocolate factory began…
Chocolate travelling through the line at the Hershey factory in Smiths Falls
Enormous tanks filled with melted chocolate at the Hershey factory
A view of the assembly line at the Hershey factory
Sign at the entrance to the Hershey Factory in Smiths Falls, Ontario
Hershey Closes
after 46 years
On February 15, 2007, Hershey Co., the parent company, based in Pennsylvania, announced that the factory would be closing as part of a re-structuring. Some jobs would be re-located to Mexico.
More than 650 employees were told that the closure was part of a company-wide supply-chain realignment.
According to local statistics, the enormously popular Chocolate Shop drew 425,000 visitors to the town in 2005.
Union spokesman, Harry Ghadban said, news of the closure was an “absolute shock.”
On December 23, 2008, production stopped, and the Hershey factory, and associated store were shut down.
Ad for Hershey Kisses
The story of the Hershey Factory:
“Sweet Sensation in Smiths Falls”,
one of the short stories in the book, “Lanark County Chronicle”
October 26, 2021
Irish Hallowe’en in Lanark County
Hallowe’en was observed by the Irish settlers in Lanark County, in the earliest times, beginning in 1816, after their arrival in Drummond Township. At that time, it was not a holiday centered around children collecting candy, but instead, marked a spiritual night when the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest, allowing spirits, good and evil, to pass through.
The celebration of All Hallows Eve, or Hallowe’en originated in Ireland, with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, (pronounced sow-win (sow sounds like cow). The Druids, the high-ranking members of the Celts, built enormous bonfires, and everyone in the community, young and old, gathered around. The Celts wore simple costumes, consisting of animal skins, to hide themselves from evil spirits, and believed that on that special night, they had the ability to tell each other’s fortunes.
Samhain marked the end of the harvest, and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. The Celts believed that on October 31st, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred, and that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
When the evening’s celebrations around the fire were over, each family brought a small torch from the bonfire, and used it to re-light their hearth fires at home, believing that it would protect them during the coming winter.
Lanark County Irish Hallowe’en
There were many ancient customs, traditions and even food, associated with the early Irish settlers to Lanark County, each year, on October 31st. Although many of the pioneers were Roman Catholic, a handful of customs from the times of the Celts still remained. Some of the traditions were centered around the idea that everyday people were able to predict fortunes on this special night. A traditional Irish fruit loaf was baked, which held specific symbols that were believed to predict each person’s fate. (recipe below)
A large part of the evening was the telling of ghost stories. Some of the early settlers were not able to read nor write, so the story-telling was a way to pass down their traditions and beliefs, so that the next generation would remember them.
On Hallowe’en, after dusk, when the last light had faded from the sky, it was customary light a few candles, push back most of the furniture against the walls, and sit around the hearth. The lady of the house would serve the fruit loaf, with butter, jam, and tea, shots of whiskey for the grown-ups, and the telling of the ghost stories would begin…..
This is a story that was told in the 1930s in Perth, by Jimmy McNamee, our father’s cousin, about the night his parents Mary Quinn, and Maurice McNamee, heard a Banshee, while they were walking down a dirt road, coming from a house party.
Legends say that the cry of the Banshee foretells of a death, and the old timers claimed that only those with pure Irish blood running through their veins, could hear the cry of the Banshee.
Some of the Irish settlers said that the Banshees were withered, scowling old women, but many said the Banshees were pale, fair-skinned beauties with red flowing hair, who could bewitch men with their charm. It was said that each family had its own Banshee, and that they followed the people who left Ireland, across the ocean, to their homes in the new world.
Not long after they were married, in the late 1860s, Maurice, and his wife Mary, were coming home after a dance at a neighbour’s house. They were walking down a bush road when they heard a cry unlike anything human they had ever heard. It was half sobbing, half moaning cry, as though someone was in distress.
Mary Quinn McNamee said, “Maurice, can that be a Banshee?”
Still fairly close to the neighbour’s house, they decided to turn around and go back, and tell the others what they’d heard. During the short walk back to the house they heard the cry a second time, and just before they reached the front door of the house, they heard it again.
After reaching the house, they told the neighbour and the rest of the guests what they’d heard, and everyone came outside to listen, but the cries were not repeated.
Three days later a man died accidentally in the bush close to the house where the dance was held……
Many stories were passed down over the years about Jimmy Whelan’s tragic drowning, and his beautiful young lover, who still walks at night, along the shores of the Mississippi River, searching for her beloved Jimmy. This story was told and re-told in the area of Ferguson Falls, particularly at the infamous Stumble Inn, operated by Billy McCaffrey.
The Phelan family (this family pronounced their name as Whelan), had a farm along the 11th concession of Drummond Township, backing onto the Stafford farm. The two farms were separated by the Mississippi river. My great-grandfather, Thomas Stafford, was a friend of Daniel Phelan, younger brother of Jimmy, so he knew the family well. It was well-known in the area that of all the children in the family, Jimmy, was his father’s favourite, and in the father’s will, Old Man Phelan even singled him out, referring to him as “his beloved Jimmy”.
It was said that Jimmy possessed a spirit of wanderlust, and instead of working on the family farm, he was drawn to the excitement of living in a lumber camp, moving from place to place, along the river. All winter long they cut and hauled tall white pine logs, to the Ottawa River’s nearest tributary, and in the spring, when the ice broke up, they floated the logs down the river. One year, the water on the Upper Mississippi was particularly high, and a dangerous jam formed. The jam shifted, and Jimmy and the foreman, both standing on floating logs, were knocked into the cold icy waters. The foreman was rescued, but they didn’t recover Jimmy’s body for over half an hour. It was a terrible tragedy.
In the old days, the Irishmen would sit outside of Charlie Hollinger’s hotel, and one of the stories they told was about the ‘gates of glass’. They believed that at dusk, between the rising and the setting of the moon, when the waters were still, the veil between the world and the spirit world becomes very thin. It was said that spirits could pass from one realm to another through the still waters, and this was known as the ‘gates of glass’.
Many years later, following the death of Jimmy’s former lover, people in Ferguson Falls began to see what appeared to be a misty image of a young woman, walking along the shores of the Mississippi. The old timers said it was the spirit of Jimmy’s beloved, trying to reunite with him.
They say she still walks along the river at dusk, searching for Jimmy.
Although there were three hotels at one time in Ferguson Falls, perhaps none had such a wild reputation as the Stumble Inn. The hotels in the village were popular with the locals, travelers, and the lumber crews who worked along the river. The difference between the larger hotels and the much smaller Stumble Inn was that the smaller bar chose to ignore the local laws for their operating hours, and so, alcohol could be purchased at almost any time, including Sundays. There was even a Sunday ritual among some of the male parishioners of the nearby St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic church – to stop by, before, or after services, for a wee nip of whiskey.
The longer business hours of the Stumble Inn were perhaps one of the causes of the legendary fighting that took place at this small establishment. More drinking, naturally led to more fighting. Apart from the fighting though, it was also a place where a young musician, like Dad’s uncle, Jimmy Richards, could bring their fiddle or flute, and were encouraged to entertain the patrons; and so, it also became known as a venue where the budding musicians of the area gained experience performing for the crowds. Along with the music, and the fighting, there was card-playing, gambling, and story-telling.
Billy McCaffrey, owner of the Stumble Inn, passed away in 1940, and most of the old musicians who played there are long gone. Some say that if you walk along the river near the Stumble Inn, on a warm summer’s eve, you can still hear the echoes of the music and the laughter – the spirits of the old gang who frequented the Stumble Inn.
(William Henry ‘Billy’ McCaffrey, owner of the Stumble Inn, was a cousin to the Staffords, through his grandfather, Peter McGarry, brother of our great-grandmother, Betsy McGarry Stafford.)
Michael McNamee and his family sailed from Warrenpoint, Ireland, on the ship, ‘Dolphin’. According to stories passed down by Michael, the voyage took seven weeks, and he sailed in the company of Michael Stanley of Stanleyville, and Michael Cunningham, who settled in Perth.
It was a common belief at that time, when the Irish immigrants arrived in Canada, that their particular banshees, family fairies, and little people, came with them.
Michael’s son, Maurice McNamee, and his helper, George Murphy, worked as charcoal burners on the west side of the hills, close to Westport. They lit the wood, and covered it with a bed of sand so that the wood might be merely charred instead of being burned. They sold the charcoal to local families, and it was used for cooking, to heal wounds, to ingest in the case of food poisoning, and to mix with ash to make cleaning products.
old fashioned charcoal made in a sand moundOne morning, Maurice and George returned to their work site, and found the sand they poured over the charcoal pit was covered with tiny foot-prints. The prints were about two inches long, and were in the same shape as a human foot. Both the marks of the heels and the ends of the toes were very clear, and the entire surface of the pit was covered with the footprints, as though some tiny folk had been dancing on the mound.
Maurice and George did not want to disturb the sand. They wanted someone to come and see the prints to verify what they had found. There was no camera in those days, and they had neither pen nor paper with them to draw a sketch of what they’d seen……
Maurice told the story often, and then his son, Jimmy McNamee, passed the story down to the locals in the Perth area. Jimmy was a bit of a legend in the area for his story-telling skills, and often came to one of the hotels in Perth, and passed the old stories down to all who were interested. Our Dad heard that particular story from Jimmy in 1935, in Perth, and passed it down to us.
(According to Jimmy, ghost stories were not told at daytime activities like barn-raisings or at gatherings in broad daylight. It was in the evening, gathered around the hearth, or a bonfire, that the stories were to be told by the old-timers, and passed down to the younger folk, from one generation to the next. Jimmy’s son, Sylvester, was married to Dad’s cousin, Bridget ‘Carmel’ Stafford)
Predicting Your Future Husband with an Apple Peel:
All of the young ladies present at the gathering carve a long single peel from an apple, and toss it over their shoulders. It is believed that the peel will fall on the floor in the shape of their future husband’s initials!
Another custom involved the placing of three saucers on the table. Salt is poured onto one saucer, the second saucer holds a ring, and the third saucer holds a small mound of earth. Each person is blindfolded, and led around the table three times, and then places their right hand on one of the saucers. If they touch the saucer containing the earth it is a reminder that the time is not far off when they will be but a handful of graveyard soil; if they touch the saucer with the ring it means that a happy marriage will be theirs; and if they touch the salt they will cry tears in the next year.
Leaving a Path for the Fairies
Many believed that on Hallowe’en the fairies like to come in, and warm themselves at the fire. It is customary to move the furniture back toward the walls, and leave a clear path from the front door to the fireplace so the fairies will come in, sing and dance with the family, and tell them what the future holds.
Many bake a special cake for Hallowe’en called a Barmbrack. Inside the cake the baker places a match, a tiny piece of cloth, a ring, a thimble, and a button. The cake is cut into pieces, and given to those present at the gathering. The person who finds the match will have conflict in their life, whoever finds the piece of cloth will suffer from poverty, the person finding the ring will be the next to marry, the one who finds the thimble will not marry, and if a man finds the button he will be a bachelor forever.
Traditional Irish Barmbrack for Hallowe’enIngredients
2 ½ cups chopped dried mixed fruit
(raisins, apples, currants, cherries)
1 ½ cups hot brewed black tea
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup marmalade
1 tsp finely grated orange peel
Soak the dried fruit in the hot tea for 2 hours, then drain and gently squeeze out excess tea.
Stir the flour cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda together in a bowl
Beat the egg, and combine with the sugar, marmalade, orange zest, and tea-soaked fruit
Fold in the flour gently and pour into the pan.
Bake in a greased 9-inch Bundt pan at 350, for 1 hour, or until the top of the cake springs back. Allow to cool in the pan for 2 hours before removing.
Wrap the objects in waxed paper (thimble, ring, etc.) and press into the cake through the bottom before serving.
The loaf may be served with tea in the afternoon, after dark on Hallowe’en, or may be sliced, toasted and served with butter and jam for breakfast
And so, the spooky traditions of Hallowe’en were passed down through the generations, from the earliest Irish settlers in Lanark County, and on down through the years, from the old timers, to the young ones.
The ghost stories were told, and re-told, at night outside, around the Hallowe’en bonfire, or in the home around the hearth. Shots of whiskey were often served, or for the younger folks a cup of strong black tea, along with a slice of the traditional buttered fruit loaf.
As the evening progressed, and the whiskey took hold, there was always music, fiddling, flute-playing, singing of the old traditional songs, the telling of jokes, and many exaggerated tales of glory from days gone by.
Whether you spend your Hallowe’en in the traditional ways of our Lanark County Irish ancestors, or you have your own customs that you practice on this special night of the year, have a very happy and safe Hallowe’en, and be sure to watch out for the ghosts, and the little people!
For more Lanark County Irish Ghost Stories:
The story of Jimmy Phelan and the Ghost of Ferguson Falls, in its entirety, in “Lanark County Calling: All Roads Lead Home”.
For the complete story of the Banshees in North Burgess Township, and the Little People of Westport – “Lanark County Classics: A Treasury of Tales from Another Time”
For more information on The Stumble Inn of Ferguson Falls – “Lanark County Collection: Winding Our Way Down Memory Lane”
Books available at:
The Book Nook in Perth https://thebooknookperth.com/shop/
The Bookworm – https://www.bookwormperth.com/
Mill Street Books in Almonte – https://millstreetbooks.com/
For Irish Genealogy records at the Library & Archives Canada
https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/history-ethnic-cultural/Pages/irish.aspx
Lanark County Genealogical Society – some good research links:
https://lanarkgenealogy.com/research-tools/genealogy-research-links/
Irish Genealogy records:
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/
Arlene Stafford-Wilson, September 2020
October 25, 2021
“The Hoax”, Filmed in Perth
The Strange Case
of the Fanged Skull
Filmed in the town of Perth, Ontario, in 1955, this movie features many local people, in a tale of mystery and suspense.
Plot:
Set in the town of Tayville, (Perth), the local museum (the Perth Library on Gore Street) finds itself the center of an intriguing drama when an ambitious young reporter causes a scandal over the authenticity of one of its prize exhibits, a human skull.
Gore Street – 1955, appears many times, filmed from various angles
Local businessman, Victor ‘Vic’ Lemeiux playing the role of Vic Edwards, the Editor of the ‘Tayville Times’, with Richard Lamb, playing Harry Raddall, the ambitious young Reporter
A local fundraising group tours the museum
Mr. Appleby, the Museum Curator, played by Clyde Bell, provides a guided tour of the museum
Harry Raddall, reporter, played by Richard Lamb, tells lovely librarian, Helen Tate, played by Joy Lindop (Cunningham), about his plan to sneak into the library late at night and photograph the museum’s fanged skull
The fundraising group concludes their tour with the curator
Reporter, Harry Raddall, played by Richard Lamb, sneaks into the Museum at night, under the cover of darkness…to photograph the skull
The shocking newspaper headlines are revealed at a fundraising meeting, “Skull With Fangs Declared a Hoax!”
A Town Council meeting is held at the Perth Town Hall to decide whether the museum will receive funding
Professor Goddard, played by Peter Hopkinson, examines the skull to establish authenticity
Is the skull real? Or is it a hoax?
“The Hoax”
This delightful short film, just over 28 minutes in length, is a wonderful glimpse into the past, with many scenes of Gore Street, Perth, Ontario, as it appeared in 1955.
The local cast of actors did a fine job in their roles, many with memorable performances.
This historic film short may be viewed in its entirety on the National Film Board’s website, and is a must-see for local history buffs, capturing scenes of the main street of Perth as they appeared in the mid-1950s.
Enjoy!
View “The Hoax”
on the National Film Board site: https://www.nfb.ca/film/hoax/
(All Images are from: “The Hoax”, a movie by the National Film Board of Canada, produced in 1955.)
Director: William Davidson
Story and Screenplay:Norman Klenman
Photography: Robert Humble
Sound: Clifford Griffen
Editing: Douglas Robertson
Production: Nicholas Balla
Cast:
Harry Raddall, Reporter: played by Richard Lamb
Helen Tate, Librarian: played by Joy Lindop (Cunningham)
Mr. Appleby, Curator: played by Clyde Bell
Professor Goddard: played by Peter Hopkinson
Mrs. Tate: played by Mrs. T.A. Rogers
Vic Edwards, Newspaper Editor, played by Victor ‘Vic’ Lemieux
Also featured in ‘The Hoax”:
Vince Lally, Jo Keays, Jack Finnegan, Edna Coutts, Mayor Scott Burchell, John Mather Town Clerk, Mr. ? Arbuthnot, Grace Grainger, Norm Turner, Mr. ? Sawdon, Mrs. ? Hamilton
(and many more)
Please comment below to help identify the local actors from the Perth area so they can be listed with the other members of the cast.
With thanks to the local cast and crew, and to the National Film Board of Canada, for capturing these moments in time, and preserving this special slice of history for the town of Perth, Ontario.
October 21, 2021
Perth’s Haunted Hospital
It wasn’t until I worked at the Perth hospital kitchen in the 1970s, that I began hearing stories about the ghosts that haunted their halls at night.
Although I was born in the Great War Memorial Hospital, and years later would attend high school just a block away, no one had ever mentioned the legends surrounding the original owners of the building, or how that family had been cursed.
Curious to find out more, I began to ask around town. Being a small town where everyone knew someone, who knew something; it didn’t take long before I spoke with someone, who knew someone else, who’d seen something unusual at the old hospital. I began to write down some of the stories about the building on Drummond Street that I thought, had always been a hospital. I discovered that it hadn’t started out as a hospital at all.
The story begins with a Judge John Malloch, a prominent citizen of the early days in Perth, who decided in 1858 to build an opulent stone house on Drummond Street. His home had all of the bells and whistles. There were 17 rooms, along with two large halls that were each ten feet wide. There was a solid walnut staircase, a large library, and a fine polished marble mantelpiece. In those days, it was considered by many, to be one of the finest homes in all of Eastern Ontario. The Judge named the home Victoria Hall, for the reigning Queen at that time.
Judge Malloch had ordered many luxurious materials and finishes for his home, some from a distance, and he often became impatient because his building supplies didn’t arrive on time. One of his suppliers had promised delivery on a certain date and the materials did not arrive when needed. This caused a critical delay in construction. Workers were not able to proceed, and the setback cost the Judge a great deal of money. When the material finally arrived, the Judge was so annoyed that he refused to pay.
The supplier became extremely agitated, because even though he admitted that he was very late, he stressed to the Judge that he had delivered the supplies as agreed, so he felt that he should be paid. The supplier argued at length with the Judge, but Malloch stood firm and refused to pay. In the heat of the argument the supplier cursed the Judge. He went on to say that the Judge’s entire family would be cursed for as long as they lived in that house.
Years later, some would say that it was the curse, and some said that it was merely coincidence, that caused the Malloch family members to suffer ill health. Some even succumbed to death prematurely. The old Judge watched as they passed one by one, and he was left all alone in the large stately house.
Fifteen years after the house was built, the old Judge died, and the once elegant Victoria Hall was left vacant.
The only time the house was occupied was when distant family members would open the home for the summer season, stay briefly, then leave the house empty and dark for the remainder of the year.
It was during this time, when the house was left vacant, that locals passing by at night often noticed figures walking the halls or staring out the windows. Victoria Hall became known as the Haunted House of Perth.
Some said they saw what looked like a thin, sickly. old woman, standing at the window, staring down at Drummond Street below. Others claimed that they saw the ghost of the old white-haired judge, walking up and down the long halls, as if he was searching for something or someone.
The Perth hospital, in the former Victoria Hall, opened in 1923. On Armistice Day in 1924 the town of Perth dedicated the hospital as a tribute to the men and women who served in World War I, and proclaimed that it would be known as the Great War Memorial Hospital.
By the time I was hired to work part-time in the hospital kitchen in 1976, there had been many additions, although by that time, the number of beds had been reduced. The provincial Ministry of Health imposed bed closures in the obstetrics ward in 1973 and local mothers had to travel to Smiths Falls to have their babies.
I recall that this was a heated issue at the time, and three years later, when I worked in the kitchen, it was still a topic of great discussion. The other topic, which I overheard many times discussed by the staff, were the ghosts that walked the halls at night.
Being a fairly level-headed person, I was inclined to take the ghost stories with a grain of salt, and went about my usual tasks. I’d been hired part-time to work in the evenings, to deliver trays of food to the patients, after school, and on weekend mornings, to help out with the breakfast preparations.
I recall the first day of work, when I went inside the hospital, and asked one of the staff in the lobby if they could tell me how to get to the kitchen. I got directions, and headed down the elevator to the lower level. When I arrived one of the other part time girls, Darlene Dowdall, took me on a tour of the kitchen, and introduced me to the staff. Dorothy Erwin was the kitchen supervisor. She said she’d be happy to answer any questions, and welcomed me to the kitchen. A few years later, Dorothy’s daughter Ruth, married my brother Roger, but that’s another story.
Next, Darlene brought me over to meet the cook. His name was Wayne Clapp, and he had a quick smile, and was joking around with Leonard ‘Lenny’ Parsons, the dishwasher. Wayne was preparing a beef stew, and he showed me the walk-in refrigerators. I couldn’t believe the size of those things. They were huge.
The next person I met in the kitchen was the baker, and her name was Gladys Thomas. She had a warm personality and very kind eyes. The day I met her she was busy making some vanilla pudding. She had a double-decker bake-oven, mounted on the wall behind her, and an enormous mixer for puddings and cakes.
Leonard Parsons, who I’d met earlier, came breezing by and asked if I’d like to start work by helping him wash some of the pots and pans. Darlene said she’d catch up with me later, and I followed Leonard into the dish-washing room.
Mike, the evening dishwasher, poked his head in the door and with a nervous look on his face, told Leonard that ‘Miss Bosch’ was coming. Leonard explained that Miss Gabriela Bosch was the head of the kitchen, the ‘big’ boss, and she would often drop by for a surprise inspection to make sure that everything was done just so.
He had barely finished his sentence when a very tall, dark-haired lady, wearing a white lab coat, poked her head into the doorway, said hello, and asked how everything was going. She was taller than average, and seemed very serious, and I wondered if that’s why the two men had seemed so nervous.
One of the other part time girls Heather Bell, came in and asked me if I could help her fill up the pop machine in the cafeteria. I recognized Heather from school. There were two Heather Bells, one with dark hair, but this was the blonde one, and she went by Heather ‘N.’ Bell so people would know which was which. Heather had a quick sense of humour, and she was a lot of fun to work with that evening. We joked around as we carted in the cases of pop and slotted them into the machine.
I spotted Bill Farrell coming into the cafeteria from the kitchen and he was holding a mop and pushing a bucket on wheels. He was tall and lanky and had a big smile for everyone. I recognized him from Perth High School, and he came over and introduced himself. He and Heather began joking around about some of the good time they’d had with the kitchen gang since they’d started working there and I knew for sure that there would be some fun times ahead.
Another girl from school Joy Hurren, worked behind the counter in the cafeteria, and she asked me if I’d like to help her fill some dishes with pudding. We spent about an hour doing that, and when we finished, we began to shut everything down for the night.
As we turned off the lights in the cafeteria, I heard an odd sound like someone moaning coming from inside the kitchen, but when I pushed the door open there was no one there. Joy just shook her head and seemed to think nothing of it; so, neither did I.
On my second night I worked with Joy’s younger sister Jennifer Hurren. She and I had been assigned the job of delivering supper to all of the patients. There were huge metal racks on wheels called carriers and every six inches or so there was a slot that held a tray of food.
The trays were already set with the evening meals. The dinner plates each had a metal cover to keep the food hot, and some of the trays had pots of tea or glasses of tomato juice or apple juice. Ethel Scott was working that evening putting the meals together. I recognized her because I went to school with her daughters, Judy, Thelma, and Patsy. Ethel was checking to make sure that the meals on the trays matched what the patient had checked off on their order slip.
Once we’d loaded the trays on the carrier, Jennifer and I rode up in the elevator, and stopped on the first floor. The big metal carrier was on wheels, so we pushed it along the hallway and stopped by each room. We made sure to check the slip of paper and match the name with the nameplate on the bed and then we set the tray down. Some of the patients were sleeping, but most were awake and happy to see us, and we chatted for a couple of minutes and then went onto the next room. There was one lady at the end of the hall who didn’t get a tray that night. Her room number wasn’t on the list. I thought to myself that she must have already eaten her supper earlier in the evening.
As the months passed by, I realized that the staff members in the hospital kitchen were a great bunch to work with. There were many jokes shared and stories told while we worked, and every so often someone would mention the ghosts that had been seen in the halls over the years. Well, I’d been up and down those halls many, many, months, and the only folks that I’d seen other than the nurses, were from the Hospital Auxiliary.
The ladies of the Hospital Auxiliary were a dedicated group and sometimes we’d see them in the halls. They’d be upstairs on the floors late at night delivering evening snacks to the patients. They called it the ‘Tea and Toast Brigade’ and brought around hot buttered toast with jam or jelly, and tea or juice to the patients, to provide a little late-night nourishment. Along with offering some cheer and a snack these ladies raised a tremendous amount of money for the hospital. They ran a little gift shop on site, and were also in charge of the Candy Stripers – young girls who volunteered to help out with small jobs around the hospital.
I saw quite a few of the ladies from the Hospital Auxiliary like Miss N. Burke, Mrs. Vi Wilson, Mrs. L. Crothers, Mrs. B Watson, Mrs. K. Frizell, Mrs. S. Folkard, Mrs. E. Rilley, Primrose Paruboczy, Harriet Halliday, and Mary McDougall. They were tireless workers, and it was very clear that they really cared about the patients and the hospital.
I also saw many of the local doctors while delivering the trays of food each evening. Many of them looked exhausted as they made their rounds, but they were always friendly and had a few kind words for us as we wheeled our food carrier down the halls. I remember Dr. Holmes and Dr. David Craig tending to their patients; and also Dr. J.A. Kidd, Dr. R. McLean and Dr. Tweedie.
We walked those halls on each floor of the hospital two or three nights each week, wheeling our meal carrier up and down, unloading the trays, chatting with the patients and the hard-working nurses. We dropped the trays off, came back later, picked up the empty trays, and brought them down to the kitchen.
I worked evenings in the hospital kitchen for almost two years. I heard many accounts during my time of staff members seeing apparitions. I thought that they must be imagining things, because I’d walked those halls at night countless times, I never encountered any ghosts at the GWM Hospital.
After graduating from PDCI, I worked two more months at the hospital kitchen, then headed off to college. I treasured the friendships formed there, and the building itself was impressive; particularly the original section of Victoria Hall, which at that time was used for administration. Being a keen student of history, it was interesting to learn about the early days, and also the many expansions and transitions that had taken place over the years.
On my last shift, there was a little gathering in the kitchen, and everyone wished me good luck in college. We loaded the trays in the carrier one last time, and headed into the elevator, and up to the second floor to deliver the evening meals. As we made our way to the end of the floor and emptied the carrier, a nurse walked by, and I stopped her, and asked a question that had been on my mind since I started working there.
“Sorry to bother you, but I’ve always wondered why the lady in the last room on the right never eats her supper at the same time as the other patients?”
The nurse gave me a puzzled look and said, “That’s just a utility room. We use it for storage. There hasn’t been a patient in there for years.”
I felt the blood drain from my face and a shiver ran down my spine, as I looked at her in disbelief, and then looked back down the hall toward the room. Was it possible that I had imagined the pale, slender lady with the snow-white hair, in the faded blue robe? Maybe she was from one of the other rooms …but why did she stand in front of the room at the end of the hall each evening?
The girl I was working with said, “Come on! We’ve got two more floors of meals to deliver tonight.”
The nurse had already started walking back to her station, and my co-worker was pulling the carrier down the hall toward the elevator. I finished my shift that evening, and hung up my smock in the change room for the last time.
I left out the side door that last night as usual, and headed up the curved pathway. Once I reached the sidewalk on Drummond Street, I looked back at the building where I’d worked the past two years. Suddenly it looked different, almost eerie, and I recalled what the nurse had said that night.
Who was that small, frail lady with the snow-white hair that I’d seen so many times? She never ate supper with the others. We never brought her a dinner tray. Was it my imagination? Was it just a coincidence?
Or, perhaps, this really was the ‘Haunted House of Perth’.
(This story is an excerpt from “Ghosts and Gastronomy in Perth”, from “Lanark County Chronicle: Double-Back to the Third Line” ISBN 978-0-987-702623)
http://www.staffordwilson.com
October 19, 2021
Ottawa Valley Poltergeist
This eerie tale began in the autumn of 1889, on a farm, owned by George Dagg, and his wife, Susan, located in Clarendon, 10 kilometers from Shawville, Quebec.
George and Susan had three children at that time, Eliza, age 4, Mary, age 3, and baby John. The Dagg family had also taken in a young girl, 11-year old Dinah. Like many orphans from the U.K. at that time, she was brought to Canada, and these children were often placed in farm homes, where they could help out.
When Dinah was present, there were often unexplained, spontaneous fires — eight occurring in a single day. Objects – a water jug, butter tub and wash basin ‘flew’ around the property controlled by an “invisible agency.” Stones were thrown through windows, a harmonica played on its own, and an empty rocking chair, rocked back and forth.
Family members and neighbours heard a deep gruff voice, sounding like an old man, in the house and outdoors, and the voice answered questions, and was heard by all.
It all began on September 15, 1889…..
“Oh, Grandmother, see the big black thing pulling off the bedclothes.”
The Dagg Family Consulted with The Witch of Plum Hollow
Percy Woodcock, of Brockville, a well-known artist, and student of Psychology, began to investigate the strange occurrences at the Dagg home…..
Percy Woodcock, 1879Was it the farm-hand, Dean?
Some claimed it was Dinah…
Dinah Burden McLean, the adopted orphan from Scotland, taken in by the kindly Dagg family, was blamed for the disturbances, and eventually was sent away to Fairknowe Home, in Brockville. Fairknowe Home was an orphanage, and at the time Dinah was sent there, it was called The National Orphan Homes of Scotland, and later the building housed a division of the Brockville Children’s Aid.
“He claims to be a discarnated being who died twenty years ago, aged eighty years; that he gave his name to Mr. George Dagg and to Mr. Willie Dagg, forbidding them to tell it.”
Seventeen farmers and community leaders, including local politicians and clergymen, signed witness statements to the unusual sightings, and voices heard at the Dagg farm, in the fall of 1889.
Seventeen people witnessed the disturbances of the Poltergeist, and signed a statement to that effect…
“To whom it may concern:
We, the undersigned, solemnly declare that the following curious proceedings, which began on the 15th day of September, 1889, and are still going on, on the 17th day of November, 1889, in the home of Mr. George Dagg, a farmer living seven miles from Shawville, Clarendon Township, Pontiac County, Province of Quebec, actually occurred as below described.
1st, That fires have broken out spontaneously through the house, as many as eight occurring on one day, six being in the house and two outside; that the window curtains were burned whilst on the windows, this happening in broad daylight whilst the family and neighbours were in the house.
2nd, That stones were thrown by invisible hands through the windows, as many as eight panes of glass being broken; that articles such as waterjug, milk pitcher, a wash basin, cream jug, butter tub and other articles were thrown about the house by the same invisible agency; a jar of water being thrown in the face of Mrs. John Dagg, also in the face of Mrs. George Dagg, whilst they were busy about their household duties, Mrs. George Dagg being alone in the house at the time it was thrown in her face; that a large shelf was heard distinctly to be played and was seen to move across the room on to the floor; immediately after, a rocking chair began rocking furiously. That a washboard was sent flying down the stairs from the garret, no one being in the garret at the time. That when the child Dinah is present, a deep gruff voice like that of an aged man has been heard at various times, both in the house and outdoors, and when asked questions answered so as to be distinctly heard, showing that he is cognizant of all that has taken place, not only in Mr. Dagg’s family but also in the families of the surrounding neighbourhood. That he claims to be a discarnated being who died twenty years ago, aged eighty years; that he gave his name to Mr. George Dagg and to Mr. Willie Dagg, forbidding them to tell it. That this intelligence is able to make himself visible to Dinah, little Mary and Johnnie, who have seen him under different forms at different times, at one time as a tall thin man with a cow’s head, horns and cloven foot, at another time as a big black dog, and finally as a man with a beautiful face and long white hair, dressed in white, wearing a crown with stars in it.
Signed,
John Dagg Portage du Fort, PQ.; George Dagg, Portage du Fort, PQ; William Eddes, Radsford, PQ; William H. Dagg Port. du Fort; Arthur Smart, Port. du Fort; Charles A. Dagg, Port. du Fort; Bruno Morrow, Port. du Fort; Benjamin Smart, Shawville, PQ.; William J. Dagg, Shawville, PQ.; Robert F. Peever, Cobden, Ont.; Robert H. Lockhart, Port. du Fort; John Fulfrid, Port. du Fort; George H. Hodgins, Shawville; Richard F. Dagg, Shawville; George Blackwell, Haley’s, Ont.; William Smart, Portage du Fort; John J. Dagg, Portage du Fort.”
Curiosity-seekers came by the wagon-load, from neighbouring towns and villages, along with the media, to witness the Dagg Poltergeist
Attested by Scores of Credible Witnesses
“The man left with Dinah, and she was never heard from again….”
“It” threw water in Mrs. Dagg’s face…..
The Dagg House 2017
Noted by the Lombard family – a strange sound of crawling and scratching in the attic, solely focused above the original house.
Eliza Jane, age 4, the Dagg’s daughter, died mysteriously, during the time of the poltergeist’s visit.
Grave of Eliza Dagg, daughter of George and Susan Dagg. She passed away in a mysterious accident, during the time of the poltergeist on the family farm. (local lore is little Eliza was playing near a cauldron of soap, her clothing caught fire, and she burned to death)
After the Poltergeist
After the disturbances of 1889, the lives of George Dagg and his family returned to normal, for the most part. George became one of the most prominent farmers in the region, and served as a Councillor for Portage from 1918-1922. Popular, and well-respected, he ran for Mayor in 1922, and was elected. He served as Mayor of Portage for 16 years, right up until his death, in 1938.
Did it vanish for good, or did it return?
The old-timers say that the poltergeist vanished, and appeared like a streaking flame, as it finally left the Dagg farm, after three long months, of troublesome behavior.
The Dagg House, as it appears today. Local people and curiosity seekers still drive by this property, and local teens have been known to walk through the yard at night, on a dare.
Would You Dare to Visit at Night?
Exploring the Supernatural: The Weird in Canadian Folklore
1955. R.S Lambert’s book Exploring The Supernatural: The Weird In Canadian Folklore was published, which includes a chapter of what took place at the farm in 1889.
…..
The Ghost that Talked
The Dagg poltergeist was the subject of 1957 National Film Board movie, “The Ghost That Talked.”
“In the fall of 1889 a mysterious presence took up residence in the Dagg farmhouse in Pontiac county, Québec. This dramatization based on the first-hand report by Canadian artist Percy Woodcock shows that ghosts and poltergeists are as common in Canada as in the Old World.”
March 10th, 1957, 30 min.
…….
Fairknowe Home
For more information on Fairknowe Home, orphanage in Brockville: “The Village, A History of Quarriers” , by Anna Magnusson, 1984.
…….
October 18, 2021
Granny’s Afternoon Tea
Dorothy Woolsey Rutherford – (1893-1976) at the Stafford house
Afternoon Tea
on the Lawn
It must have been quite a sight for local farmers rumbling by on their tractors, heading back and forth between the Third and Fourth Line of Bathurst with full loads of summer hay. There she was, decked out in one of her fine silk dresses, with a strand of pearls and matching earrings, waiting patiently in a lawn chair for her afternoon tea.
Our Granny came for a visit from Edmonton every few years, and we all tried to make things as nice as possible for her stay. She often worried that she wouldn’t be able to sleep during her time with us, and so, one of my brothers was always tasked to visit the liquor store in Perth and purchase a bottle of her favourite cordial – Cherry Jack liqueur, which she claimed would help her drift off to sleep at night. It was not unusual at the end of her stay for Granny to leave the entire bottle untouched, as she claimed that it was so quiet and peaceful at our house, with the gentle rustling of the maple leaves and the sound of the crickets to lull her to sleep.
Apart from her request for the Cherry Jack, Granny was accustomed to having afternoon tea. Born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1893, Granny grew up in comfortable circumstances. Her family owned two successful butcher shops in Huddersfield, her maternal grandparents, the Fosters, owned butcher shops in Grantham, and her paternal grandfather was the owner of Woolsey’s Silversmiths and Jewellers, also in Grantham. Her family summered in Blackpool, England, a resort town on the northwest coast, and she and her siblings had a proper Victorian upbringing, enjoying certain daily rituals, like afternoon tea.
It’s been said that it was the seventh Duchess of Bedford, one of Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting who started the custom, sometime around 1840. City dwellers who benefited from the new invention of gas-powered street lights, began to stretch their dinner hour later and later into the evenings, sometimes as late as 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.
7th Duchess of Bedford, Anna Russell
The Duchess often described feeling peckish in the late afternoon, and began to request that her maid bring bread, butter, jam, cake, and tea to her room, around 4 p.m. each day, and from this habit a tradition was born. The upper classes seldom needed an excuse to have another slice of cake or another cup of tea, and so the custom spread quickly across Britain.
The ritual of afternoon tea for the wealthy came with a number of accessories. Fine porcelain cups became the standard, with matching saucers, special tea-sized plates, sterling silver tea pots with matching cream and sugar servers. Names like Royal Crown Derby, Wedgwood, and Spode, and in later years Royal Doulton, and Royal Albert were the usual suppliers of these fine china sets, often trimmed with genuine gold. Linens were also important, as were the types and blends of teas available, and the variety of condiments like potted jams and honey.
“Royal Antoinette” pattern, by Royal Crown Derby
There was also an important social aspect of afternoon tea, and the way in which women could entertain at home, and were free to exchange ideas, opinions, and share their views on topics ranging from the domestic, to the religious, and the political. Tea dresses became fashionable and didn’t contain the usual restrictive boning, but were more free-flowing and comfortable, often made of lighter fabrics.
Tea Sandwiches
One of Granny’s favourites at tea-time were dainty cucumber sandwiches, cut on the diagonal, with the crusts removed. Long, thin English cucumbers are peeled and sliced paper-thin. Soft, thin slices of white bread are spread lightly with plain cream cheese and a layer of thin cucumber slices are lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Tiny sprigs of dill or mint leaves may be used as a garnish.
Traditional cucumber tea-sandwiches
Tea sandwiches at the Stafford house were often served on a Lazy Susan, a three-tiered serving tray, sometimes made of silver, or fine china. Mother made several different types of tea sandwiches – Pinwheel, Ribbon – with several alternating layers, Checkerboard – with two different colours of bread, and Open-Faced – a circle of bread (she used a water glass to cut the slice) topped with a filling and a garnish. Fillings were finely chopped egg salad, ham salad, salmon salad, cream cheese with maraschino cherries. Garnishes were tiny springs of parsley, and sometimes radish roses, and carrot-curls were placed on the plate as decoration.
Pastries and Sweets
Granny’s favourites were the small Jam Pastries. Whenever Mother baked pies, (which was often) she saved the scraps of pastry, rolled them flat, cut them in circles or other shapes, placed a dollop of homemade jam in the center, folded it over, then sealed the edges with a fork tine. Mother also made bite-sized jam tarts, and dainty Cherry Balls, for a sweets-tray that was pleasing to the eye as well as the stomach. (recipe below)
Mother’s Cherry Balls
1/2 c softened butter
1 1/2 c icing sugar
1 1/2 c desiccated coconut
1 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
a pinch of salt
graham wafer crumbs
maraschino cherries
Method: Mix well and shape around a drained cherry, then roll into graham crumbs
For variety, may be dipped in melted chocolate.
Chill on a cookie sheet, and serve. May be frozen.
The Tea
While Mother preferred Orange Pekoe tea, and drank Red Rose brand daily, our Granny drank English Breakfast Tea – a full-bodied black tea, and Earl Grey Tea – with the essence of bergamot. At one time the Red Rose company included a small ceramic figurine in each box of their tea, and perhaps that was part of their popularity with Mother. I remember seeing dozens of the little figurines here and there, around our house, in shapes of small animals and nursery rhyme characters.
(Tea Bags were invented in the United States in 1908, but they did not become popular in England until the 1950s.)
Tea bags, or loose tea in an Infuser
Brewing Tea
Fresh Water
It’s important to use fresh water when making tea. We were fortunate at home to have well water, but if you don’t then bottled spring water will do. If there is an ‘off’ taste or chlorine in the water then it will affect the flavour of the cup of tea.
Choose Your Pot
Traditional tea was made in a silver pot, and metal will keep the water hot longer, but a china pot will retain the flavour better.
“The First Cup is For the Pot.”
After the water reaches a rolling boil, the first cup of water should be poured into the pot and swirled around and then poured out. Our Dad always said, “The first cup is for the pot.” This helps to maintain the temperature.
The remaining boiling water is poured into the pot over the loose leaves, or the tea infuser, or the bag (bags), and allowed to brew for three to five minutes
Loose brewed tea is poured into the cup, through a tea strainer placed over the top of the cup. Infusers or tea bags should be removed once the tea has reached the desired strength.
Silver tea strainer – 1930s
Tea Cozy
A tea cozy may be placed over the pot to keep the tea warm. Mother made crocheted tea cozies to give as gifts, and would often inquire about the recipient’s china pattern, then she would match the cozy to the main china colour.
Milk or Sugar?
Some drink their tea black, or with a dollop of honey, or a squeeze of lemon.
Our Granny preferred to take her tea with a splash of milk. The milk was always poured in the cup before the tea, so that the delicate bone china cup would not crack or shatter.
The British began adding sugar to their tea between the 17th and the early 18th century. At this time, sugar was being used to enhance the flavour of other foods among the upper classes and was thought of as an ostentatious luxury. At that time both tea and sugar had status implications, so it made sense to drink them together.
Tea Times – What to Expect:
A ‘Cream’ Tea — This is a simple tea with biscuits, scones, clotted cream, marmalade sometimes lemon curd and tea.
A ‘Low Tea/Afternoon Tea‘ — This is a light afternoon meal with small crustless ‘finger’ sandwiches, 2-3 sweets and tea. This is the one our Granny enjoyed on the lawns of the Stafford house. It’s known as “low tea” because guests are seated in low chairs with side-tables on which to place their cups and saucers.
High Tea – A ‘High’ tea consists of meat and potatoes as well as other foods and tea. Families with servants often took high tea on Sundays in order to allow the maids and butlers time to go to church and not worry about cooking an evening meal for the family.
Dreaming of England
As a child, I sometimes wondered if Granny missed her life in England, her childhood in Gainsborough, and her youth in Huddersfield. Did she dream of the elaborate silver tea settings crafted in her grandfather’s shop, and did she miss the elegant table settings, dainty afternoon delicacies, and the impeccable service by their family’s domestics?
Dorothy Woolsey Rutherford
I like to think that Granny enjoyed the times spent at the Stafford house, sitting under the tall sprawling maple trees on warm summer days, enjoying her afternoon tea in our yard.
The Stafford House, Tay Valley Township, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada
Whenever Granny stayed with us Mother made delicious tea sandwiches that were as pleasing to the eye as they were to our taste buds. Her sandwich fillings were seasoned to perfection, and the small sweets and pastries were just the right finish to an afternoon tea.
Arlene Stafford-Wilson, Dorothy Woolsey Rutherford, and Audry Rutherford Stafford – 1965 at the Stafford house
Enjoy Your Own
Afternoon Tea
This lovely daily ritual needn’t be expensive, and takes very little time to prepare. Simple fillings of egg, ham, or salmon salad can be prepared ahead of time, and a few small pastries or chocolate coated biscuits will do nicely. The tea of your choice may be one you’ve enjoyed for years, or you might like to experiment and try some new varieties. Perhaps you already have some lovely fine china that’s been passed down in the family to use for your tea service. Many swear that tea tastes better served in a fine bone china tea-cup.
In a busy world, where sometimes the news is less than cheerful, taking a few minutes for ourselves with a small daily ritual might be just the thing to brighten our spirits.
If weather permits, take your afternoon tea outside, and invite a friend or neighbour. Breathe in the fresh air, marvel at the beauty of the colourful flowers in your garden, or the clear blue skies overhead. A colourful bouquet at the table adds a nice touch.
For a meager amount of expense and preparation, the simple pleasures and contentment of enjoying afternoon tea is truly priceless. Make some lasting memories with your children and grandchildren, just as I did, so many years ago, on our front lawn, sharing afternoon tea with Granny.
October 15, 2021
Scottish Surnames
Surnames were used in Scotland beginning around the 12th century, and at first, were mainly reserved for the upper classes of Scottish society. In time, it became necessary to distinguish ordinary people from one another by more than just their given names, and the use of Scottish surnames began to expand. In some Highland areas, surnames did not become common until the 18th century, and in parts of the Northern Isles they were not used until the 19th century.
Lanark Society Settlers
In the sailing seasons of 1820 and 1821, a number of ships left Grenock, Scotland, headed for the main Canadian port in Quebec City, bringing many who were skilled weavers, along with their families. Lord Dalhousie, the Governor General of Canada, arranged for their settlement in a newly surveyed area, called Lanark County. He later noted in his diary, “I gave them a new township, ten miles square, and called it ‘Lanark’, close to the settlement in Perth.”
“For liberty to emigrate with their families to Upper Canada,
and that the Government be graciously pleased
to grant one hundred acres of land,
free of any charge, along with aid in money,
implements of husbandry, and building materials”
from: “The Lanark Society Settlers 1820-1821” – Carol Bennett.1991.
The newly arrived Scots brought a number of skills in weaving, carpentry, blacksmithing and shoe-making. They built grist mills, flour mills, and established tanning enterprises. Some of the earliest Scottish settlers established maple syrup operations, lumbering, saw mills, and furniture-building businesses.
Some of the descendants of these original settlers can still be found in the region today, and you might guess their Scottish heritage by their surnames.
100 Most Common
Surnames in Scotland
Some Scottish Surnames
and their Meanings
Anderson – son of Andrew, means ‘manly’
Brown – originates from old English and refers to the colour of the hair or complexion. Old Norse name.
Cameron – means crooked river, originated near Fife
Campbell – means ‘wry-mouthed’, traces back to the Britons of Strathclyde
Clark – comes from ‘cleric’, means scribe or writer, recorder of history
Davidson – son of David, all over Scotland
Duncan – means brown-haired or chieftain, originated in Perthshire
Ferguson – means ‘with force’, originated in Ayrshire
Fraser – means strawberry flowers, originates in East Lothian
Graham – from the 12th century, means gravelly homestead
Gray – a person with gray hair, from the border regions near England
Hamilton – a leading family in the 16th century, owned vast properties in Paisley
Henderson – son of Henry, means powerful, from the Pictish
Johnston – meaning John’s town, from Dumfriesshire area
Kerr – means left-handed, originated along the Scottish borders near England
MacAdam
Originated in Ayrshire and means ‘son of Adam’
MacAlister, MacAllister
A clan established in Kintyre and Bute. The name MacAllister means ‘son of Alexander’ or ‘son of Alistair’ (Alexander meaning ‘defender of men’ and Alistair and Alasdair being its Scottish and Gaelic variants) The first chief of the Clan MacAlister was Alexander, a descendant of the famous Somerled, King of the Isles.
MacAslpine, McAlpine
The name is thought to be of Pictish or Brythonic origin, coming from the word alp meaning ‘rock’.
MacAndrew, McAndrew
Means ‘son of Andrew’. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland.
MacArthur
From the Lorne district of Argyll. The name MacArthur means ‘son of Arthur’, Arthur is associated with the legendary Celtic king of the Britons who presided over the Knight of the Round Table.
MacAskill, McCaskill
Originated in Lewis and Skye. The name comes from the Gaelic MacAsgaill, derived from the Norse name Arskell meaning ‘cauldron of sacrifice to the gods’.
MacAulay, Macaulay
Originated in Lewis and Dunbartonshire. The name comes from the Gaelic MacAmhaoibh, which is the Gaelic version of the Norse name Olaf meaning ‘ancestor’s descendant’.
MacBeth, Macbeth
Name comes from Macbeth, who ruled as king from 1040 to 1057, and associated with play Macbeth by William Shakespeare.
The play was written in the 1600s was known as ‘the Scottish play’. The Macbeths were an established family in the north of Scotland, with the name meaning ‘son of life’ or ‘son of a man of the church’.
MacCallum, McCallum
The name is a variation of Malcolm, meaning ‘son of the servant of Columbia, an Irish missionary who founded a monastery on Iona.
MacCartney, McCartney
Originates in Galloway. The name means ‘son of Art’ with Art the Gaelic word for bear. Beatle Paul McCartney, lived for a time not far from Galloway in Kintyre.
McClintock, McLintock, MacLinktock
Means ‘son of the servant of Saint Findon’. Saint Findon was disciple of Saint Columba.
MacColl, McColl
Originated in Argyll, and means ‘son of Colla’, with Colla meaning ‘high one’.
MacConnell, McConnell
A variation of the surname MacDonald meaning ‘son of Donald’.
MacDiarmid, McDiarmid
Means ‘son of Dermott’. Diarmaid a Gaelic and Irish first name meaning ‘freeman’ or ‘free from envy’. The MacDiarmids originated in Perthshire.
MacDonald, McDonald, Macdonald
The name is the most common surname in Scotland beginning with ‘Mac’. In Gaelic, mac means ‘son of’ and so MacDonald means ‘son of Donald’. Donald is a name of Gaelic origin that means ‘world ruler’.
MacDonnell
Established on the Scottish mainland in Glengarry in the Highlands and Keppoch in Lochaber. The name derived from the clan name MacDonald meaning ‘son of Donald’.
MacDougall, MacDougall
Established in the Lorne region of Argyll, and means ‘son of Dougal meaning ‘dark stranger’.
MacDuff
Means ‘Son of Duff’. Duff comes from the Gaelic word duibh meaning ‘black’.
MacEwan, McEwan, MacEwan
Means ‘son of Ewan’ Ewan is a version of the Gaelic name Eoghan, (Ewan) means ‘of the yew tree’ or ‘of youth’.
MacFadyen, McFadden
Means ‘son of little Patrick’. The Macfadyens were Irish in origin before settling in Mull in the 14th century.
MacFarlane, Macfarlane
They hail from the Loch Lomond clan from the 13th century. The name means ‘son of Paran’ with Parlan being the Gaelic for Bartholomew, the name of one of Jesus’ disciples.
MacFie, McPhee
Established on the small Hebridean island of Colonsay and means ‘son of Dubshithe’, and ‘dark peace’.
MacGill, McGill
Originated in Dumfries and Galloway, and means ‘son of the stranger’
MacGowan, McGowan
The name means ‘son of the smith, such as a blacksmith or silversmith.
MacGregor, McGregor, MacGregorhttps:
Means ‘son of Gregor’ and ‘watchful’ and was a popular name for popes. There was also a 9th century Scottish prince called Gregor.
The MacGregors lived between Aberfoyle and Balquhidder, and were involved in decades of conflict with the Campbells and the Scottish crown.
MacIan, McKean
Means ‘son of Iain’ or ‘son of John’ The clain MacIan was established in Ardnamurchan. Variations of MacIan included McKean and Caine.
MacInnes
Means ‘son of Angus’. The name derives from Aonghus, the Gaelic form of the name Angus, which is pronounced ‘Innes’. The MacInneses were from the west coast and established in Perthshire.
MacIntosh, Mackintosh, Macintosh
From Perthshire and the Highlands. The name means ‘son of the chieftain’.
MacIntyre, McIntyre, Macintyre
Established in Glencoe. means ‘son of the carpenter’. MacIntyre is often anglicized to the surname Wright.
MacIver, MacIvor
Family was established in Argyll, and means ‘son of Ivor’, with Ivor being a popular male first name that derives from the Scandinavian Ivarr meaning ‘bow’ and ‘army.
MacKay, Mackay, McCoy, MacKie, Mackie
Meaning ‘son of Aodh’ or ‘son of Aed’. The Gaelic name means ‘fire’, and is anglicized as Hugh. The MacKays were established in Sutherland. The Highland Clearances of the 19th century saw many MacKays scattered throughout the world.
The surnames MacKie and Mackie are also variations of Mackay.
MacKenzie, McKenzie, Mackenzie
Means ‘son of Kenneth’. Kenneth means ‘handsome’ or ‘fair’ and was the name of three of Scotland’s earliest kings.
MacKinlay, McKinley
Originated in Perthshire. The name means ‘son of Cionadh’ ‘beloved of Aodh’ (Aodh is the Celtic god of fire).
Mackinnon
Originated chiefly in Mull and Iona, and means ‘son of Finegon’ and ‘fair born’.
MacLachlan
Means ‘son of Lachlan’. The name Lachlan means ‘land of the lochs’ and historically referred to a person who came from Norway.
MacLaren, McLaren
Originated in Perthshire. The name means ‘son of Laurence’.
MacLean, McLean, Maclaine
Means ‘son of a follower of St John’. The name is concentrated in Mull and Tiree.
McLeish
Derived from the Gaelic Mac Gille Iosa meaning ‘son of the servant of Jesus’. It is a variation of the surname Gillies.
MacLennan, McLennan
Means ‘son of a servant of Saint Finnan’. Saint Finnan was a 7th century Irish saint whose name is derived from the Gaelic name Fionn meaning ‘white’.
MacLeod, McLeod, McCloud
Means ‘son of Leod’. The clan MacLeod was most concentrated in Skye and Lewis.
MacMillan, McMillan, Macmillan
Means ‘son of the tonsured one’. The name is believed to originate from monks. The MacMillans became established in Argyll and then Kintyre and Galloway.
MacNab, McNab
Means ‘son of the abbot’ or ‘father’s son’. The MacNab family originated near Killin.
MacNeill, McNeill
Means ‘son of Neil’, Niall, meaning ‘champion’. The name is long associated with the island of Barra, and it is said that the name orginated from an Irishman called Niall who settled there in the 11th century.
MacPhail, McFall
Derived from the Gaelic name Mac Phail, and means ‘son of Paul’.
MacPherson, Macpherson
Means ‘son of a parson’.
Macquarrie
From the island of Mull, means ‘son of a proud man’.
MacQueen, McQueen
An anglicized version of the Argyll surname MacSween, meaning‘son of Suibne’ (with Suibne the Gaelic for ‘pleasant’) or ‘son of Sweyn’ (Sweyn a Norse name meaning ‘servant’).
MacRae, McCrae
Established in Wester Ross. , means ‘son of grace’.
MacTaggart
Means ‘son of the priest’ The name comes from the days when priests were allowed to acknowledge their children. MacTaggarts were established in Ross and in Dumfries.
MacTavish, McTavish
Derived from the Gaelic name Mac Tamhais. The name means ‘son of Thomas’. The biblical name Thomas means ‘twin’.
Miller – a person who owned or worked in a grain mill, origins near Glasgow
Mitchell – one who is like God, Old English origin
Morrison – son of Maurice, from the Isle of Lewis
Murray – means from a sea settlement, originated on the northeast coat
Patterson – son of Patrick, from the Scottish Lowlands
Reid – a person with ruddy hair or complexion, originated in Perthshire
Robertson – son of Robert, found in the borders of Scotland near England
Ross – means the steed or the horse, also headland, comes from Clan Ross
Scott – means ‘a native’ of Scotland
Smith – meaning ‘to strike’, an Anglo-Saxon name.
Stewart – meaning steward, Queen Elizabeth II descends from the Royal House of Stewart, on both sides
Taylor, or Tailor – occupation surname meaning ‘cutter of cloth’
Thomson, or Thompson – son of Tom, member of the Clan McTavish
Walker – to walk or to tread
Watson – son of Walter
Wilson – son of Wil or William, meaning desire or protection, from Lanarkshire.
Young – a younger brother or a son
Norse and Norman Names
There were Norse and Norman influences on Scottish surnames that we know today. Bissett, Boyle, Colville, Corbett, Gifford, Hay, Kinnear and Fraser are all originally Norman names, which first appeared in Scotland in the 12th century. Menzies and Graham are Anglo-Norman surnames.
Named for the Land
Many surnames are territorial in origin, as people became known by the name of the lands that they held, for example Murray from the lands of Moray, and Ogilvie, from the barony of Ogilvie, in the parish of Glamis, Angus. Tenants sometimes assumed the name of their landlord, despite having no familial relationship with him.
Occupational Surnames
Many surnames are derived from the occupations of their owners, like Smith, Tailor, Mason, and some are less obvious like Baxter (baker), Stewart (steward), Wardrope (keeper of the garments) and Webster (weaver). Cordiner, Soutar and Grassick are all derived from the occupation of shoemaker.
Mac and Mc
Mac and Mc usually mean ‘son of’.
Clan-Based Surnames
Grant, Stewart, Ramsay, and Campbell are examples of Scottish surnames that are derived from the family Clans.
No matter the origins of your own Scottish surname, you can be proud of a long and fascinating heritage. You may descend from an old established Clan, or from the aristocracy who lived in one of the historic stone castles.
Glamis Castle, Angus, Scotland, U.K.
….And if your ancestors lived in Lanark County, you may even be a descendant of one of the Lanark Society Settlers!
Lanark Highlands, Lanark County, photo: Lanark County Tourism
Good Luck with your research!
Sources:
List of 100 surnames -National Records of Scotland (NRS), statistics from 2014
Surnames of Scotland, by George F. Black. (OCLC 1303608)
“The Scotsman”, McKim, 2015.
Dorward, David, ‘Scottish Surnames’, Glasgow, 1995
Arlene Stafford-Wilson
October 14, 2021
Mother’s Farmhouse Date Squares
Date Squares or
Matrimonial Cake?
We know it as ‘Date Squares’ in Ontario, but in western Canada it’s called ‘Matrimonial Cake’.
There are a few different theories as to the origins of the name ‘Matrimonial’, and some say the meaning is as simple as the symbolism of the two layers of crumbly oats joined together as one by the date filling.
A Wedding Favour
At one time it was given as a wedding favour in the west, wrapped in plastic, then in a paper doily, tied with a ribbon, and left at the table for each guest.
The Dirty Thirties
The popularity of this cake peaked during the 1930s and 1940s. Mother always referred to the Great Depression years as, ‘The Dirty Thirties’. They were difficult economic times with high rates of unemployment, and a long-running drought in the Prairies known as ‘the Dust Bowl’. By the early 1930s, over one third of the labour force was unemployed, and in rural areas of the west almost two thirds of the population were on an early form of welfare known as ‘relief’. Matrimonial cake became a low-cost alternative to more expensive wedding cakes. In the days of coal fired or wood stoves and their uneven heating it was the one type of cake that wouldn’t ‘fall’ and lose its shape in the oven.
‘Mother’ – Audry Rutherford Stafford with her mother, ‘Granny’ Dorothy Woolsey Rutherford in front of their home in Edmonton, 1936.
Rationing and the War Years
In the 1940s, the cake’s popularity surged once again; this time for different reasons. Food was being shipped to our soldiers, and also being sent to Britain for our allies. More than half of all wheat and flour consumed in Britain during WWII was sent from Canada, along with more than a third of their bacon, a quarter of their cheese, eggs, and evaporated milk.
Sugar was the first staple food to be rationed in Canada in 1942, followed by coffee and tea a few months later, and butter by the end of the year. In 1943, the government began to ration meat.
Ration book – 1943
Ration coupons from a ration booklet 1940s – Canada
A Popular Alternative
Matrimonial cake became a popular alternative to traditional cakes which required white sugar, eggs, and butter. In those days shortening was used in place of butter in many recipes. Cooks and bakers had to be creative by necessity, as there were no packaged or fast foods in those days.
After WWII Dad returned to Canada from his posting overseas in Bournemouth, England. Mother had been staying with her parents in Edmonton. By the time they moved to Lanark County in 1947, to live with Dad’s aunt and uncle, Mother had been making her Matrimonial Cake for years, and had perfected her recipe.
Stafford House, 1947, Tay Valley Township, Lanark County
In the years that followed, Mother’s Matrimonial Cake would become a family favourite. Like many of her recipes, it was a prize-winner, many times over, at the local fairs.
Audry Rutherford Stafford at Stafford House, 1964
Date Squares
Matrimonial Cake
1 3/4 c oats
1 c flour
1 c brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 c softened butter or shortening
Date filling:
1 lb of diced pitted dates
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 c boiling water
Mix dry ingredients together and press half in the bottom of a square pan
Cook filling until smooth and spread over crumb mixture
Add remaining dry ingredients and pat down firmly
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes
Whether you call them Date Squares, or know it as Matrimonial Cake, as they do in the Canadian west, they are a nutritious snack, rich with vitamins and minerals, and were always a popular treat at the Stafford house.
Enjoy!
Recipe from: “Recipes and Recollections: Treats and Tales from Our Mother’s Kitchen”
Books available at The Book Nook, and The Bookworm, Perth, Mill Street Books, Almonte,
and
October 13, 2021
The Witch of Plum Hollow
The readings always began the same way, with her visitors climbing the rickety wooden stairs to her cramped attic reading room. She motioned her guests to sit across from her, at a small pine table. A fresh pot of tea sat on the table, along with two cups. She’d pick up the pot, shake it vigorously, and pour a cup, watching as the leaves slowly sank to the bottom. Next, she swirled the tea around, poured the liquid back into the pot, then instructed her visitor to do the same.
Jane Elizabeth Martin Barnes was a beautiful young woman, when she arrived in North America. She left her home in England after refusing to marry a man twice her age. Her father, a Colonel, had instructed her to wed his friend, an unattractive middle-aged soldier, and Jane would have no part of it. Instead, she fell in love with a handsome young man, Robert Harrison, and they left Britain together, married, and had a son.
Sadly, Robert died shortly after they settled in Ontario, and Jane was left alone to raise their baby.
Jane had a lovely slim frame, fair complexion, and bright eyes. It wasn’t long before she began to date again, and a young shoemaker, David Barnes, won her heart. They married, and settled near Lake Eloida, not far from Plum Hollow, about fifteen miles south of Smiths Falls, in Leeds & Grenville, Ontario. Jane and David had a large family – six sons, three daughters, and Jane took in three neighbourhood orphans after their mother passed.
Jane’s husband David, was a bit of a wanderer, and he left her, abandoned the children, and moved to Smiths Falls. After her husband left, Jane’s son Williston ‘Ton’, and his family, moved into the little cabin with Jane, to offer her support.
David Barnes, Jane’s estranged husband, moved in with their son Samuel Barnes, who had a home in Smiths Falls, and who later became Mayor.
Samuel Barnes was among several other prominent business leaders who brought about the incorporation of the ‘Smiths Falls, Rideau, and Southern Railway Company‘, in January of 1898. The purpose of the incorporation was to construct and operate railways in, through and from the Town of Smiths Falls, in the County of Lanark.
The other members were James Maitland Clark, John Reeve Lavell, Alpheus Patterson, Richard Alexander Bennett, Matthew Ryan, Robert J. Brodie, Adam Foster, Robert Hawkins, George T. Martin, and Alexander Gray Farrell, all of the Town of Smiths Falls.
Samuel married Agnes Chalmers, and they had a large family of 10 children. Their youngest was Roy Barnes.
Roy Barnes in 1947, Grandson of Mother Barnes (Witch of Plum Hollow)
Jane, in need of an income to raise all of their children, began to read tea leaves.
“This week, we present a story related by David Farmer, of Cumberland, who had actual contact with Mother Barnes, in his youth, and says her fortune telling was positively uncanny.”
“He was a sound man, a solid man, a man who declared he couldn’t be carried away by the foolish capers of an old women; no sir, not he.”
Connections to the Joynt Family“Three generations of Joynt women, descendants of Mother Barnes – Lera Joynt, her daughter Carol, with Susan Joynt and Lisa Joynt, daughters of well-known farmer and auctioneer John Joynt.“I recall Grampa Samuel Barnes telling of hitching up the horses for the long ride from Smiths Falls to Plum Hollow.”, Lera reminisced.
She predicted the return of a stolen wallet
The Ancient Art of Fortune-Telling
In the late 1800s, telling one’s fortune by reading tea leaves became very popular.
In those days, loose tea was used, and so the leaves at the bottom of the cup often formed shapes or patterns, and these were interpreted by the fortune-teller, to predict future events.
Loose tea was measured into a tea pot filled with boiling water. After the tea was consumed, the loose leaves lay at the bottom of the cup
Then, the fortune-teller, or tea-leaf-reader, would interpret the meaning of the individual’s leaves.
Many believed that the position of the leaves in the cup itself, had meaning.
The images of the leaves in the cup were often matched with a series of standard symbols, used by many in the trade.
News of Jane’s accuracy in her predictions spread quickly, and she had visitors from neighbouring towns, cities, provinces, and even visitors from the northern states.
One of her most famous customers was the future Prime Minister of Canada, John A. MacDonald.
She located a lost deed, for the Jackson family
Albert Hudson, C.P.R. Engineer, was driving through the country, near Plum Hollow, and out of curiosity called upon the witch, and had his fortune told….“After I am dead”, said the witch, “you will lose a hand and part of your arm”
Interesting Career of Mother Barnes – ‘The Witch of Plum Hollow’By: Harry D. Blanchard, “The Athens Reporter”, Feb. 1936
“As promised, we shall, here and now endeavor to do justice to the memory of a lady of the old school, who truly had as keen and as well trained and as thoroughly disciplined an intellect as anyone of our day and generation in our beloved native county. We refer to our long ago departed and much respected fellow citizen, who was early known as “Mother Barnes”, who as her years increased was usually designated as “Old Mother Barnes” and who was unjustly, and with crude irreverence, spoken of by those who knew her least as “The Witch of Plum Hollow.” The Old Farmersville folk never called her by such a name, nor did any of her neighbours who knew her best, for all who were intimate with her respected her and treated her with deference. It is true that she had a sharp tongue, but the only folk who ever felt its stinging lash were those from far distant parts who at times came into her presence with boisterous demeanor. She was pre-eminently fitted to handle just such a case and in a few crisp quietly spoken, even gentle words, she promptly put the culprit in his place and engendered in his heart and mind an infinitesimally small estimate of his own worth and importance in affairs terrestrial and in divine matters of the spirit world. Such a smart visitor went away dazed and with a deep realization of the fact that here in the backwoods of Canada was a personality which dominated everyone and everything in a manner far transcending that of any of the national orators, preachers, politicians, lecturers, phrenologists and other celebrities then the vogue in New York, London, Paris. This characteristic, and her native ability to see right through everyone, and even turn their minds and thoughts inside out, after a few moments’ conversation: these two God-given attributes made Mother Barnes famous and compelled the people to beat a track to her door to her little tea studio up under the eaves, for many long years.
If anyone wishes to make a shrine of the old home of Mother Barnes, which would be a fitting way to perpetuate her memory, he can easily locate the house by turning north from Main Street, Athens, at Sydney Taplin’s old corner, now owned by Mrs. Avis Daniels Harte. He should then proceed along Elgin Street, past the Area Parish Memorial Park on his right, and so along Livingstone Avenue, past the Villa to the Guide-board corner. Here, he should turn neither to the left along Wright Avenue to Plum Hollow, nor to the left along Robeson Avenue to Hard Island. He should keep straight ahead north along Eliada Parish Avenue to Mother Barnes Avenue, which is the town-line between Yonge and Kitley. There, on the southwest corner is Mother Barnes’ old home, Lot 13, Concession 11 Yonge. Mother Barnes Avenue runs from Atkins Lake, north of Rockspring, through Eloida, all the way to Soperton.
Mother Barnes was born Elizabeth Martin. She was a dearly loved daughter of Col. Martin, of the British Army, but when she came of age, she ran away with the man of her choice, Sergeant Robert Harrison, coming to America in a sailing ship which took six weeks in crossing. Thus, having disobeyed the wishes of her parents, she was a stranger to them during the rest of her pilgrimage below, true to the then prevailing mode in English families of the military, clergy, and gentry class. Elizabeth ‘Jane’ Martin, and her husband settled in Cobourg, Upper Canada, where one son, Robert Harrison Jr., was born to them, who in later life became Colonel Robert Harrison, commanding officer of a regiment from Kansas in the American Civil War. Col. Robert Harrison died in Kansas, and his mother in her home, at the corner of Mother Barnes and Eliada Parish Avenues, had his pictures in full regimentals. After the death of her husband, Robert Harrison, the elder, Mother Barnes, then known as Mrs. Elizabeth Martin Harrison, married David Barnes, an American, by whom she had nine children. John and Thomas died in youth. Next came Lucy, born in 1837, who married Joseph Haskin, of Plum Hollow. They moved to Modale, Iowa, travelling in a covered wagon. After the death of her husband, Lucy married a cousin of our dear old neighbour, Horace Brown, of Farmersville. She last visited her Athens cousins in 1906 but died some years ago. Next, came Samuel Barnes, a blacksmith, who married Agnes Chalmers of Montague, near Smiths Falls, a cousin of our old chum, Will Chalmers. Their daughter, Mrs. Lily Barnes, still resided in Smiths Falls when the record was made a few years ago. It was in the home of Mrs. And Mrs. Samuel Barnes, Smiths Falls, that David Barnes, husband of Mother Barnes, died. The next child was David Barnes, also a blacksmith. He went to Iowa in early life and died there. Next came Margaret, who married Arthur Robeson, of Sharbot Lake, where she died. Next came George of Athens, who married Clare Kyo, of Watertown, N.Y., and died young. Next, came Williston Barnes, of Eloida, who married Lydia Compo. Last came Jane Elizabeth Barnes, (Janie) born March 1st, 1847, who was the wife of our very popular old neighbour, Charlie Wing, of Farmersville. Mrs. Wing died Nov. 10, 1910. In one of our stories we described the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wing, on Elgin Street, which was one of the neatest, best kept and most attractive in the village. An adopted daughter of Mother Barnes and her husband David was Bella Sheldon, who was the wife of our cheerful old neighbour, Erastus Livingston.
And now we feel better, for we have completed a pleasant task, which has confronted me for a long time. We wanted to do justice to Mother Barnes, but it is not until now that we have been able to get around to it. We think that our good friend, Prof. Fred Lawdon, of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board, should see to it that the site of the old home of Mother Barnes is suitably marked for the enlightenment of posterity. Canada has never had as one of its citizens a lady of stronger character or keener intellect than Mother Barnes and this brief story of her life, which will be permanently preserved in the Canadian Archives, should be called to the attention of posterity by a suitable marking of the place of her residence and the centre of her activity, her old home near Lake Loyada (Eloida). Thus, Elizabeth Martin, a daughter of the gentry of England, lived among us for three-quarters of a century. What did she think of us? If she had put her impressions in the form of a book, it would now have an enormous sale.”
She predicted the location of money stolen from a resident of South March
“She helped local police solve a murder.”
During Jane’s time telling fortunes she was able to find missing objects, missing farm animals, and even missing people. Jane’s predictions were so accurate that even the police called on her to assist them from time to time. She even had a few very famous customers, in the many decades of her practice, in that little cabin in the country.
As the decades passed, news about Jane’s gift for predicting continued to spread far and wide, and there were often carriages lined up down the road near her little cabin.
“It was alleged by many, that Mrs. Barnes could tell all about a person, a hair from whose head was presented to her.”
“Kelly’s grandmother took his father to visit the witch in 1883. The cabin was guarded by ferocious dogs, and he climbed a rickety ladder to the second floor…..”
“Mother Barnes predicted deposits of silver on the farm of Lupton Wrathall, Lot 15, Con. 6”
Young people went to Jane, to ask advice on their love lives, and she was able to predict who they would marry. If any of the neighbours misplaced anything, they walked to Jane’s little cabin and she would tell them exactly where to look. Farmers went to Jane when their cattle or horses wandered off, and she always directed them to precisely the right spot. Business people consulted Jane for advice on their professions, and politicians sought her advice on elections and policies.
“The walls in the little room downstairs, were closely covered with the names of people from Canada and the United States, who had come to have their fortunes told.”
She predicted her own horse’s death
“After paying a nominal fee to the old lady, McLaughlin told his story, then sat back, while she consulted her cards.”
“Why do they come to see her?What do they seek?
Jane’s tiny cabin fell into disrepair over the years, and was listed for sale in 2004
Eloda Wachsmuth Buys and Repairs Jane’s Little Cabin
Eloda Wachsmuth, of Navan, Ontario, purchased the cabin in 2005, and invested $35,000 to restore the home, using much of the original logs and lumber in the restoration. Eloda wanted to preserve the history of Jane Barnes, so that she would be remembered.
By the fall of 2007, the cabin was restored, and it was Eloda’s intention that it would be open to the public, so they could learn about Jane Barnes and her years spent as a well-known fortune-teller.
Mother Barnes, as she was affectionately referred to in Leeds, lived a long life, and passed away, at the age of 90, in that same little cabin, where she had shared her predictions over the years.
Jane is buried at the Sheldon Cemetery
When Jane passed, she was buried in an unmarked grave.
Plum Hollow cheese-makers from 1924-1974, Claude and Ella Flood, erected a stone in memory of ‘Mother Barnes’. (note: the dates on the stone are incorrect)
Robert J. Harrison Jr. 1829-
John Barnes 1831-1832
Margaret Barnes 1832-1891
Thomas Barnes 1833-1857
Lucy Barnes 1836-1929
Samuel Barnes 1837-1922
David Barnes 1840-1923
Williston Barnes 1845-1920
George Barnes 1846-1906
Jane ‘Janie’ Barnes 1847-1910
Bella Sheldon 1853-1935
Descendants of Mother Barnes:Jane had a large family, including three adopted children.
Her son David Barnes died in infancy, age 1, and her son Thomas Barnes lived only until age 24.
Her eldest daughter, Margaret ‘Maggie’ Barnes, at the age of 52, married James Robinson.
Her daughter, Lucy Barnes married Metcalfe Peer, Joseph Haskin, and Alva Brown
Her son, Samuel Martin Barnes married Agnes Chalmers
Her son, David Barnes married Fannie Ryel
Her son, Williston ‘Ton’ Barnes, married Lydia Compo
Her son, George W. Barnes married Clarissa ‘Clara’ Kio
Her daughter, Jane, married Charles Wing
Other surnames in ‘Mother’ Barnes family: Bell, Joynt, Cooper, Goodwin, Williams, Buchanan
………………………………….
Discover the fascinating story of Jane Barnes, and her years as a local fortune-teller. Find out about some of Jane’s most prominent and famous customers. Who were the high-profile movers and shakers who sought Jane’s advice on a regular basis? Read about a grisly murder case that perplexed police, and was finally solved by Jane. Who was the famous and controversial newspaper publisher who sent his wife to ask Jane’s predictions because he didn’t want to be seen visiting a ‘fortune-teller’. Learn about the case of a poltergeist in Quebec, where the family seeks Jane’s help in solving the violent and frightening haunting of their house. Discover these stories and more, in the book:“Lanark County Calling: All Roads Lead Home”, the complete story of Jane Barnes, a gifted lady, also known as – ‘The Witch of Plum Hollow” ISBN 978-0-987-702661
